Braking device for vessels propelled by gas discharged below the water level



Jan. 16, 1923.

' 11,442,522 H. A. J-. DE 8.. NACHENIUS.

Bar-ow THE WATER LEVEL,

BRAKING DEVICE FOR. Vessas PRQPELLED av GAS Dsscmnsao FILED Jun 3 Patented .lan. l6, lSiZ-E,

UNHTEQ HENRI ARNOLD JOHANNES DE BIJLL NACHENI'US, OF HAABLEM, NETHERLANDS.

BRAKING- DEVICE FOR VESSELS PROPELLED BY GAS DISCHARGED BELON THE VIATER LEVEL.

Application filed July 3, 1922. Serial No. 572,585.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRI ARNOLD JOHANNES DE BIJLL NAoHENIUs, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands residing at Haarlem, Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braking Devices for Vessels Propelled by Gas width of the vessel, may also be allowed to escape along the bow so as tocause the vessel to go astern. This, however, is only possible as long as the vessel does not o ahead, for otherwise the air discharge without overpressure would, even if it were discharge in the direction of movement of the vessel and in substantially parallel relation with the bottom, immediately move backwards with respect to the vessel owing to the very considerable resistance oifered by the water, or, stated in other words, the ship would simply slide over the stratum of air. In view of this circumstance it is found difiicult to promptly stop a vessel arranged for the application of the new method, or to suddenly reduce its speed. The primary object of this invention is to meet this difiiculty.

This invention essentially consists in. pro vidf the inclined stern surface of the vessel with one or a plurality of brake plates rotatable about tranverse shafts and adapted to normally lie fiat against the plane stern surface but, it necessary, to be lowered seprately or conjointly so as to produce a rapid. braking effect by its reaction. As the in clined stern surface extends through the entire or the greater part f the ships width, the hinged connection of the plates does not oifer technical difficulties although said plates have to stand heavy strains when in action.

Preferably the brake plates are associated with. counterweights in such a manner that they always have a tendency to move into contact with the rear surface. The said counterweight is suitably made in the form of a piston movable in an upright cylinder so that it is raised and the lowering of the brake plates initiated when pressure medium is admitted to the bottom side of the piston; in this case the -water pressure causes the plate to completely swing out,

suitable means being provided to prevent said plate from further backward move ment after having reached its vertical position. In its highest position the piston-like counterweight is braked, for instance, by 7 springs or preferably by an air buffer.

The described braking device also readily lends itself to the steering of the vessel. If, for instance, three brake plates are pro vided side by side, the vessel may be steered to port or to starboard by the lowering of the port-plate or of the starboard-plate, respectively; concurrently the discharge of gas at the side where the brake plate is operative may be cut off and thereby the turning moment increased.

Also without cutting ofi the discharge of at one side the turning moment may be increased to a considerable extent. Tn

shi 'ls of the type referred to the bottom and the inclined stern surface are generally provided on their lower side with a plurality of ribs extending through substantially the entire length of the ship and serving the ing same from escaping sideways. When employing three brake plates, for instance, four of such ribs may be provided whereby three inverted channels are formed on the lower side of the bottom, one brake plate beplate is lowered without, however, the discharge of air on the starboard side being cut off; The air escaping astern through the port-channel and the resistance to "the purpose of uiding the air and prevent- 90 a suitable distance immediately in ion water oitered by the starboardbrake pla-te produce a turning moment in the desired di rection. Atthe same time, however, the air which rises through the starboard -hannel but which is prevented by the so board brake plate from escaping'astern has freedom to escape sideways through the said recess in the starboard-airguiding'rib, that is to say, to starboard, so that it rises to "the water level along the ships side, thus exerting a pressure thereon and producing a current 0t water substantially at right angles to the ships side, which current by its reaction on the starboard-side of the stern part of the ship considerably assists in turning the vessel to starboard.

The method of steering just described has the advantageous feature that it can be satisfactorily applied even when the ship has no steering way; under like circumstances an ordinary rudder woiild not have any eiiect, as is'we-ll known.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example an embodiment of the inventio and in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal section of the stern part of a vessel in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows on a reduced scale-the rear elevational view of the same with its brake plates Vertically depending and v Figure 3 shows a diagrammatic view 01 a modified mechanism for actuating the brake plates.

(rand b designateltwo decks,'c'the inclined stern surface eitendiiig'throughthe greater part of the width of the ship, (Z, c, f, g four air guiding ribsseeured on the underside of the bottom of'the boat and of the stern surface. v face 0 are three brake plates h, i, j; these plates are rotatable about horizontal shafts which are suitably supported and each ar ranged between two ribs. Each plate is hinged to a chain 1 running upwards through a hole in the ships bottom and through apipe 0 provided with chain wheels or, a and secured 'to a piston g, which, while acting as a counterweight. is provided in a vertical cylinder .39. Compressed air can be admitted to the bottom of the cylinder through a .pipe r. When the plate depends vertically the piston Q assumes its highest position which, in the example shown, 'is determined by springs sg'if the brake plate lies fiat against the inclined rear surface 0 the piston g is in position near the lower cylinder cover. It the :piston through the action of compressed air is raised from its lowermost position, the brake plate descends by gravity through a corresponding distance; when the vessel is going ahead, the plate is quickly forced into its vertical positio'n owing to the pressure of the water.

Hinged to the rear end of the sur-' The springs 8 may suitably be replaced by an air buffer; in this case cylinder 71 can be made to act both as a press and as a brakecylinder.

Instead of lowering the brake plates by theaction (if'pre'ssure medium and allowing the inoperative position of the brake plate coacts with a pawl 5 so as to lock the rod 2 with its associateiparts. If the brake plate in this arrangement is to be moved from its braking position into its inoperative position, pressure medium, for instance from the compressed air storage reservoir of a Diesel motor, is admitted to the bottom side of cylinder 1 through a pipe 6 provided with a valve (not shown). F or lowering the plate into its braking position all that is required is releasing pawl 5 and exhausting the air below the. piston. in cylinder 1, for which purpose an outlet pipe 7 with a valve (not illustrated) is provided. The said valves and the pawl 5 are preferably interconnected and adapted to be actuated from the bridge of the vessel. As these means do not form part of the present invention they have not been illustrated in further detail.

Provided on the back side of the brake plates are strengthening webs t. The extrenie strengthening ribs of plates 71. and j are {preferably so arranged, or so highyas to fill up the recesses of the extreme fixed air guiding ribs when the brake plates lie flat against the ship.

What I claim =is: l

1. An improvement in or modification of a vessel adapted to be propelled by gas discharged below the water level and having a substantially plane. upward inclined stern face for guiding the rising gas bubbles, characterized thereby that the said inclined stern surface is provided preferably near its upper part with a braking device comprising one or more brake plates which are rotatable about a transverse axis. said plate or plates being adapted normally to lie flat against the stern surface and when required to be separately or conjo'intly lowered into the water.

2. A vessel as claimed in'olaini 1 and provided with longitudinal gas guiding ribs 011 the lower-side of the bottom and of the inclined stern surface, characterized thereby that the extreme ribs 011 the inclined stern surface are cut away through a suitable-distance immediately in front of the brake plates.

3. A vessel as claimed in claim 2, characterized thereby that the brake plates are provided with strengthening Webs adapted when the brake plates lie flat against the rear surface to fill up the recesses 01 the fixed gas guiding ribs.

4. A vessel as claimed in claim 1, characterized thereby that the brake plates are each connected through a chain or like ele ment with a counterweight movable as a.

piston Working Within an upri 'ht p P658" or b rake-eyllncler.

5. A vessel as claimed in claim 2 charactOllZGfl thereby that the brake plates are each connected through a chain or like element with a counterweight movable as a piston Working within an u n'ight press or brake cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRI ARNOLD JOHANNES fie BULL NACHENIUS. 

